Kogi State indigene and founder of AquaProX Africa, Mr Salifu Daniel, has secured second place at the global aquaculture pitch competition held in London, United Kingdom.
The Blue Food Innovation Summit, hosted by the United Nations Ocean Decade, took place on May 27 and 28, 2026, at the Hilton London Bankside.
The summit attracted over 250 delegates from 40 countries, featuring 90 speakers and more than 60 investors from across the global blue food and aquaculture sectors.
Daniel said AquaProX Africa, is a youth-led, AI-powered aquaculture platform based in Abuja, Nigeria, designed to help fish farmers transition from reactive to predictive farming through technology-driven solutions.
He described his achievement as a significant milestone for African innovation in aquaculture, noting that he was one of only seven startups selected to pitch on the summit’s main stage before an audience of global investors, industry leaders, and decision-makers.
Daniel noted that his presentation explained the role of artificial intelligence in improving fish farming productivity, sustainability, and profitability across Africa.
He added that his innovative presentation earned him second place in the audience vote.
Daniel expressed optimism that the recognition would open new opportunities for partnerships and investment, while drawing greater international attention to Africa’s growing aquaculture sector and the innovative solutions emerging from Nigeria.
The Kogi-born entrepreneur was the only African startup founder among the finalists and the youngest founder to pitch on the main stage during the event.
Discussions at the summit focused on key themes such as Artificial Intelligence and Digital Aquaculture, Regenerative Oceans, Scaling Capital, Future Farming Models, and Next-Generation Aquafeed, all aimed at advancing investment and innovation in global blue food systems.
